Til the Summer Comes Around
by sweet.bravery
Summary: Two-shot. Miranda & Leo's thoughts as they go their separate ways.
1. Miranda

**'Til The Summer Comes Around**

_Just a quick little one-shot (maybe two?) about the ending of the amazing book Sea Change by Aimee Freidman, which everyone should read. It's seriously awesome. Think Twilight meets The Little Mermaid. Cool, right?_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

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She felt it the moment Selkie Island descended back into the ominous fog that surrounded it at all times. A piece of her was gone. She wasn't sure where it had gone exactly but she had a sneaking suspicion of who had stolen it. Leo. Just thinking his name was enough to make her want to peel off her converse, dive over the railing of the ferry, and swim all the way back to the harbor where he'd no doubt be waiting for her, arms wide open. Of course he'd be there. He had the strange ability to sense where she was at all times, it seemed. Not that it was exactly a bad thing; it had saved her butt several times this summer. Miranda smiled to herself as she fingered the smooth shell necklace she'd found hanging on the front door of the Mariner that morning.

She was broken out of her reverie when she felt an arm wrap gently around her shoulder. "We'll be back. I promise." Miranda looked up into the understanding eyes of her mother. Usually they were serious and stern, but ever since her arrival in Selkie, Miranda had noticed that they had begun to soften and change until an almost playful gleam had taken up residence in them. They reminded her of the mom she'd used to know, in the days before divorces and doctorates. She'd missed her. Miranda hoped that, somehow, she was back for good.

"You really like him, don't you?" Miranda nodded, her eyes focused on the waters below them. Every few minutes she caught a glimpse of something she could swear was an oversized fish tail darting along just below the surface, but eventually it too faded from view.

"Well," Miranda almost rolled her eyes, expecting another lecture, "I have to say, I like him a lot better than that Greg boy you used to be with. He was always so…"

She closed her eyes, the old pain coming through loud and clear. She expected her mom to ignore her and keep talking, but instead she dropped the subject altogether. Instead, she talked of spending the next day shopping in Savannah before catching their plane back to New York. But Miranda barely listened.

Her mind had already wandered back to Selkie. They were so many questions she needed to ask, so much research to be done. Was Leo really a merman? What did that mean? Was she going to be the Bella to his sweet, southern Edward? But most of all she needed to know if he loved her they way she was beginning to think she loved him.

All too soon, the boat slapped against the side of the dock and she followed her mom down the gangplank and onto the busy docks. There was no turning back now; it was time to go home. And try as she might to sort all of it out in her head, she knew she'd just have to wait until the summer came around.

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_Thanks for reading and let me know if you want to hear Leo's side of things. He's pretty interesting, too._

_(Title comes from the Keith Urban song by the same name which always makes me think of this book whenever I hear it.)_


	2. Leo

**Til the Summer Comes Around**

**part 2/2. thanks so much for reading!**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

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Leo had swum along side of the ferry as far as he dared to go. He knew the rules. He could never leave Selkie; he was tied to its waters. And that was what killed him the most. If he could, he'd have been on the next plane to New York City. Heck, he'd even live in one of those tiny, cramped apartments he'd always heard about if that's what it took. He, a child of the sea, would brave the chilly autumn, the freezing, endless winters, and the mild, rainy springs that took up the space between summers.

He needed to be with her. When she'd left she'd taken a piece of him- there was no denying it.

A small part of him was terrified that Miranda would forget him. There had to be tons of guys in the city: ones that were probably a lot more interesting than him, ones that could protect her and stay close by her side always, ones that didn't have to worry about living a double life as a mythological creature. He'd begun to live in fear of being replaced in her heart. That was why he'd made her that shell necklace. Honestly, he'd felt a little foolish to begin with, making jewelry for a girl and it hadn't helped that his little sister, Ariel, had pranced about the house taunting him the entire time. But in the end it had turned out pretty well, if he did say so himself.

When she was with him, he felt almost normal. She made him feel more alive than ever before. The weeks they'd spent together had been truly magical- and now here he was, all alone, wandering aimlessly through the streets of Fisherman's Village. The strings of light wrapped around the mossy oak trees cast a festive light across the square, something the contrasted sharply with his present dark mood.

He was in love with her. It was as simple as that. He'd known it that moment she showed up at their rock in that gorgeous black dress. Leo smiled, savoring the memory. He'd fallen head over heels in that moment and he fully intended on telling her that night. But then she'd gone and almost drowned and the moment was ruined. And as for the rest of their time together, it had been all he could do to keep from letting it slip once again. But now she was gone and he'd missed his chance. He'd just have to wait until the summer came around.


End file.
